The presently disclosed embodiments relate generally to the formulation of a layer that provides overall flatness or substantial flatness to flexible imaging members and components for use in electrostatographic apparatuses. More particularly, the embodiments pertain to a flexible electrophotographic imaging member belt prepared to include an anti-curl back coating formulated to comprise a mechanically robust copolymer binder that does have enhanced wear resistance and improved imaging member curl control.
Flexible electrostatographic imaging members are well known in the art. Typical flexible electrostatographic imaging members include, for example: (1) electrophotographic imaging members (photoreceptors) commonly utilized in electrophotographic (xerographic) processing systems; (2) electroreceptors such as ionographic imaging members for electrographic imaging systems; and (3) intermediate toner image transfer members such as an intermediate toner image transferring member which is used to remove the toner images from a photoreceptor surface and then transfer the very images onto a receiving paper.
The electrostatographic imaging members are known to be in two distinctive configurations, for example, in flexible and in rigid configurations. The flexible electrostatographic imaging members may either be seamless or seamed belts. A seamed belt is usually formed by cutting a rectangular imaging member sheet from a web stock, overlapping a pair of opposite ends, and welding the overlapped ends together to form a welded seam belt. Typical electrophotographic imaging member belts that include a charge transport layer and a charge generating layer on one side of a supporting substrate layer exhibit undesirable upward curling. Thus, an anti-curl back coating is usually coated onto the opposite side of the substrate layer to render imaging member belts flatness. A typical electrographic imaging member belt includes a dielectric imaging layer on one side of a supporting substrate. An anti-curl back coating is often needed on the opposite side of the substrate for curl control and render desired flatness. However, since the rigid electrostatographic imaging members utilize a rigid substrate support, no anti-curl back coating is needed for curl control.
In electrophotography, also known as xerography, electrophotographic imaging or electrostatographic imaging, the surface of an electrophotographic plate, drum, belt or the like containing a photoconductive insulating layer on a conductive layer is first uniformly electrostatically charged. The imaging member is then exposed to a pattern of activating electromagnetic radiation, such as light. Charge generated by the photoactive pigment moves under the force of the applied field. The movement of the charge through the photoreceptor selectively dissipates the charge on the illuminated areas of the photoconductive insulating layer while leaving behind an electrostatic latent image. This electrostatic latent image may then be developed to form a visible image by depositing oppositely charged particles on the surface of the photoconductive insulating layer. The resulting visible image may then be transferred from the imaging member directly or indirectly (such as by a transfer or other member) to a print substrate, such as transparency or paper. The imaging process may be repeated many times with reusable imaging members.
Known electrophotographic imaging members belts either include an anti-curl back coating or a structurally simplified curl-free design without an anti-curl back coating have been successfully developed and improved to give encouraging result. Yet, such electrophotographic imaging members comprise a top outermost exposed ground strip layer (co-coated adjacent to the charge transport layer to effect electrical connectivity between the photo-electrically active layers in the members) that exhibits deficiencies and shortfalls which are undesirable in advanced automatic, cyclic electrophotographic imaging copiers, duplicators, and printers.
Therefore, there is a need to provide an ACBC formulation which has robust physical and mechanical function to effect substrate protection. More specifically, the need includes providing the imaging member with an exposed ACBC formulation having improvements of reduction in surface contact friction, less susceptibility to scratch/wear failure to effect service life extension, and as well as rendering the prepared imaging member with absolute flatness without creating other undesirable problems. To achieve this purpose, flexible imaging members in various embodiments of present disclosure are prepared to have a plasticized CTL, include an ACBC designed to have reformulation comprising a film forming polycarbonate, liquid plasticizer, adhesion promoter, and particles dispersion in its material matrix.